The project aims to reduce the gap between job offers and opportunities for economically vulnerable youth, aged 16-24, regarding the Future of Work in Latin America. Focusing on labour demand and supply side, it plans to improve employability and insertion in the labour market of targeted youth, by 2021. It intends to reach at least 80.000 youths in the region, particularly in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. To achieve this, Forge is developing an innovative digital platform to train youth in socioemotional competencies and digital skills and help them better cope with the challenges posed by changing labour markets.

The impact of new technologies is changing the way we work and the nature of the work itself. 65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist and for which current education systems are still unable to prepare them. In this context, 1 out of 5 youths in Latin America is today one of the so-called "NEET"; this situation is even worse for those in unfavorable socio-economic situations. This poses the need to reduce the gap between economically vulnerable youth and the jobs of the future. To do this, young people will require training in more sophisticated and complex skills, that comprise not only digital and analytical abilities, but also socio-emotional competencies. To achieve this, Forge has initiated a change in its strategy aiming to exponentially scale its current school-to-work transition model. In line with this, Forge has decided to: 1) transform its current training centres (in Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay)  into Operation Model Centres that will operate as innovation hubs, 2) develop an innovative digital platform to train youth in socio-emotional competencies and digital skills to provide vocational guidance and facilitate job intermediation services, 3) expand geographically by developing a “social franchise” model to be transferred to allied organizations, and 4) build partnerships with the public sector advocating for the inclusion of socio-emotional competencies and digital skills in education systems. The project intends to reach at least 80.000 economically vulnerable youths in the region.

Fondation Forge; SwissJust America; BID Lab; Accenture; Citi Foundation; Ford Motor Company Fund; Price Waterhouse & Co. Argentina; SC Johnson & Son; HSBC; NESsT; Fundación Perez Companc; Freudenberg Group - Klüber Lubrication; Alsea